On Saturday, Belarusian police detained several hundred people after opposition activists attempted to carry out an unauthorized rally in the center of the Belarusian capital of Minsk. According to human rights organizations, some 700 people were detained; about 100 of them were still in custody as of Sunday morning. Some of the protesters who have been released now face administrative charges for participation in an unauthorized mass event, while others were let go without being charged.
In a statement late on Saturday, the US Embassy marked its "deep concern" with the Belarusian government's refusal "to allow peaceful demonstrations in Minsk for the annual 'Freedom Day' commemoration."
Marking its distress over reports of the use of force against detainees, the statement emphasized that "the authorities' large-scale detention of peaceful protesters, human rights observers and journalists infringes upon basic democratic values."
"The United States will continue to closely monitor this situation, and calls on the government of Belarus to immediately release all remaining peaceful protesters, human rights advocates, and journalists, to guarantee the rights of citizens to peaceful assembly and free speech, and to uphold its international commitments," the Embassy's statement concluded.
The US request comes just days after revelations in Russian-language media that US agencies and NGOs, including USAID and the National Endowment for Democracy, have raised the amounts earmarked for media, human rights and civil society initiatives in Belarus. For example, USAID committed $9 million in support for 'democracy development' in 2017, compared with $8.3 million in 2016 and $7 million in 2015. The State Department and other government and private organizations have committed millions of dollars more on other initiatives, including the training of independent journalists.
Failing to get the necessary permits from authorities in the Belarusian capital, protesters hoped to go ahead with the protest anyway. But on Saturday, police blocked off the expected meeting point, detained several protest leaders at the Academy of Sciences metro station, and then began driving protesters off central streets, where they were broken up into smaller groups and detained. Other potential staging areas were also blocked off as protesters attempted to reorganize in other areas.
Before being broken up, protesters whistled and cried the slogans "Freedom," "For Shame," and "Resign," presumably directed at Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.
Some residents of the Belarusian capital criticized the protesters, blaming them for the traffic jams and the inconvenience they caused. One woman was reported to have yelled at the protesters, telling them they should have staged their rally somewhere else, and asking them "Do you want it to be like in Ukraine?"
Earlier this month, Lukashenko ordered the detention of over two dozen persons whom he said were provocateurs being trained to organize riots during Saturday's protest. The agitators were being trained at several makeshift camps in Belarus, as well as in neighboring Ukraine, according to Lukashenko. On Friday, the president said that US and German funding sent through Lithuania and Poland had been used to finance the camps.Last week, Belarusian border guards opened fire on an SUV attempting to ram through a checkpoint at Alexandrovka, on the Ukrainian-Belarusian border. Authorities found weapons and explosives in the vehicle, and the SUV's occupants were detained. An investigation has been launched into that incident.
Throughout preparations for the disturbances, Lukashenko complained that opposition activists were trying to use popular dissatisfaction over the tax law for political gain to try to "destroy" the country. "We need to pluck these provocateurs as one would pick raisins out of a bun; they must answer in accordance with the full extent of the law…There will be no Maidan in Belarus."
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| 5 | Edit | Delete Lmao. Tell the terrorist American government to go suck a meat stick. Reply 
| 1 | Edit | Delete if you translate, democrazy promotion, you will find: choosing war! (i belive it's forbidden by international law!) Reply 
| 2 | Edit | Delete Either Trump isn't in control of the US government or Trump lied his way through the US election campaign. Reply 
| 3 | Edit | Delete If Lukashenko is not an idiot and I have serious conviction that actually he is as every dictator and autocrat is an idiot, he should realise that hand gloves are off and that open hostilities will or they already started. He should send extreme warning to whole western world by declaring US ambassador and at least 10 top diplomats in embassy as persona non grata and kick them out with 48 hours notice. Beside that he should with a presidential decree close and expel all USA or west backed NGO in Belarus.
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| 4 | Edit | Delete By the way what is happening when in USA have unauthorised demonstrations such as "Black lives matters" Do police join them happily demonstrating to the world true meaning of democracy or they started as maniacs to shoot even more people? Belarusian authorities have to expose USA double standards, they have to emphasise all bad things in USA thus countering US propaganda. Reply 
| 0 | Edit | Delete Go home Yanks! Reply 
| 0 | Edit | Delete I hope the Yanks have better Cookies this time. If the Nulan creature appears ALL IS LOST. I am a cookie lover but am having Night mares seeing the YANKIE UGLY BITCH with her claw in my Cookies. YUK Reply 
| 2 | Edit | Delete So nothing has changed in US DoS activities abroad? Trump appears to have washed his hands of cleaning up their act overseas. Was he somehow forced to let the dodgy foreign affairs of DoS and CIA continue, or has he freely changed his mind on the things he said during his campaign? Whatever the case, thus far Trump's attention has been on home affairs. And maybe that's the deal - "You look after America, Mr president, while we take care of everything overseas". Reply 
| 1 | Edit | Delete What a bunch of hypocrites, or should I say sore losers. Millions of $$$ down the drain. Reply 
| 3 | Edit | Delete Soros' "rent-a Mob" in trouble again, trying for regime change!! Spoilt US brats causing trouble again!!! Reply 
| -1 | Edit | Delete Another tRump campaign promise goes up in flames. Why am I unsurprised. Reply 
| 0 | Edit | Delete US demands Immediate release of detained Belarusian color revolutionists It Helped Fund! NOW!!! Reply 
| 0 | Edit | Delete American Socialist, Right! Yankees go home! Reply 
| 0 | Edit | Delete Jet fuel can't melt steel beams; Reply 
| 1 | Edit | Delete oh, a public acknowledgement that they are inciting regime change. Reply 
| 0 | Edit | Delete Another Ucrany? Reply 
| 0 | Edit | Delete There's a great article on thesaker about this failed maiden. Reply 
| 1 | Edit | Delete "The US Embassy in Belarus is demanding that Belarusian authorities release all protesters detained .." Reply 
| 0 | Edit | Delete Good work Belarussian OMON, keep up the good work, hunt those CIA paid agitators down. Reply 
| 1 | Edit | Delete Export the lot of them to Ukraine, so they can experience first hand life under the "democracy" they demand. Nothing like spending a year living with "American export grade democracy" to dampen one's enthusiasm for such "change".
Show new comments (0)Mitach2002
Keep those terrorists locked up.
Yes, read the definition, they are terrorists.
francescoslossel
sophm0e38
slimyfox
Only such harsh response would have effect and would send very loud and clear message. Beside that he should explain in detail to the public and I mean very laud and clear what is west intention and what they did in Ukraine. He should state that neither NATO nor EU have any sincere intentions with Belorussia but main purpose is to provoke war with Russia and use Belorussia as springboard so that Russia will have no other option but to attack and destroy Belorussia.
Lukashenko would need to go in open information war, but so far he was playing double game and someone in Russia should remind him that Yanukovich was doing the same and now he is in exile. Russia further more should emphasise that is he betrays Russia he will have to look for another country to escape prosecution and possible execution in Belorussia. If it happens another Maidan this time in Minsk the outcome wont be much different as USA and NATO will do all they cab that their people very quickly depose of current leaders. Lukashenko should after setting the situation held a elections and seek new mandate without cheating as it is his usual practice. He should understand that Russia will be prepared to help him for as long as he turns the page and stop with double game and do all things right with having Belorussia in mind not his own arse.
slimyfox
American Socialist
Giffer
John Twining
Erik Trete
sapper
karlof1
Korz53
Korz53in reply toAmerican Socialist(Show commentHide comment)
Korz53in reply toJet fuel can't melt steel beams(Show commentHide comment)
Right.
.
www.ae911truth.org
michael
Basilisa
Nam
goldcamshaft
I thought that headline was meant for Turkey and a mistake was made somewhere along the line.
earlw35
Erik Trete
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